Taran, The Assistant Pig-Keeper, longs to be a hero. He begins his journey with a strange assortment of companions on a dangerous mission to save his beloved land, Prydain. Packed with action, humor, romance, and gallantry, Taran's adventures chronicle his beloved Prydain and his battle with the forces of evil.

Over Sea, Under Stone: Book 1 of The Dark Is Rising Sequence

On holiday in Cornwall, the three children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that: it is the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their lives in peril.

Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man

In 1920s London, the Doctor and Rose find themselves caught up in the hunt for a mysterious murderer. But not everyone or everything is what they seem. Secrets lie behind locked doors and inhuman killers roam the streets. Who is the Painted Lady and why is she so interested in the Doctor? How can a cat return from the dead? Can anyone be trusted to tell or even to know the truth?

Wagons West Independence!

The year is 1837. The American West is untamed, uncivilized, and largely unclaimed. U.S. President Andrew Jackson, in a race with the British and Russians, sends a wagon train of would-be settlers into the uncharted Oregon territory, led by his close friend, mountain man and veteran Sam Brentwood.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn't just want to run from somewhere she wants to run to somewhere--to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and preferably elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing that her younger brother, Jamie, has money and thus can help her with the serious cash flow problem she invites him along.

Swallows and Amazons

Swallows and Amazons, the book that started it all in 1930, introduces the Walker family, the camp on Wild Cat Island, the able-bodied catboat "Swallow," and the two intrepid Amazons, plucky Nancy and Peggy Blackett.

A Wrinkle in Time

Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?

The Cricket in Times Square

Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he'd seen it all. But he's never met a cricket before, which really isn't surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City - the Times Square subway station.

Johnny Tremain

Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting operations and subterfuges leading up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As Johnny is forced into the role of a full-grown man in the face of his new country's independence, he finds that his relations with those he loves changes for the better as well.

Doctor Who: Only Human

Somebody’s interfering with time. The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack arrive on modern-day Earth to find the culprit - and discover a Neanderthal Man, twenty-eight thousand years after his race became extinct. Only a trip back to the primeval dawn of humanity can solve the mystery. Who are the mysterious humans from the distant future now living in the distant past? What hideous monsters are trying to escape from behind the Grey Door? Is Rose going to end up married to a caveman?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia

Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch.

Rhapsody: Child of Blood

Rhapsody is a woman, a singer of some talent who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won't take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage--one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world.

A Wizard of Earthsea: The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1

When Sparrowhawk casts a spell that saves his village from destruction at the hands of the invading Kargs, Ogion, the Mage of Re Albi, encourages the boy to apprentice himself in the art of wizardry. So, at the age of 13, the boy receives his true name - Ged - and gives himself over to the gentle tutelage of the Master Ogion. But impatient with the slowness of his studies and infatuated with glory, Ged embarks for the Island of Roke, where the highest arts of wizardry are taught.

The Bronze Bow

After witnessing his father's crucifixion by Roman soldiers, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by a single passion: to avenge his father's death by driving the Roman legions from the land of Israel. Consumed by hatred, Daniel leads a dangerous life living with an outlaw band in the hills outside his village, spying and plotting, impatiently waiting to take revenge. Winner of the 1962 Newbery Medal, The Bronze Bow is the story of a boy's tormented journey.

Fifty Famous Stories Retold

Legendary tales of the lives of famous people and historic episodes. Of these 50 stories, some have historical value, some are useful as giving point to certain great moral truths, and others are intended only to amuse. A few of these stories are from very ancient sources and are current in the literature of many lands, while many of more recent origin have come to us through the ballads and folk tales of the English people. Nearly all are frequently alluded to in poetry and prose.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

This delightfully imaginative tale is always a popular favorite among children. Mrs. Frisby, a field mouse who lives in a garden, must move her family before the farmer begins plowing. Will the rats of NIMH - a group of highly intelligent laboratory rats - help her find a solution to her dilemma?

Book Scavenger

For 12-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it's the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch.

The Moffats

For 60 years Eleanor Estes' classic novel about a family struggling to get along in the early part of the century has charmed and delighted readers with its warmth and gentle humor. Now it comes to life in a full cast recording that will have you laughing out loud...and occasionally wiping away a tear. Our whole cast fell in love with this book, and we predict that you will, too.

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

"Nope, that little feller don't look like he'll amount to much." That's what almost everyone said about Little Bub. But young Joel Goss knew that Little Bub was a special colt, even though he was a runt. When schoolteacher Justin Morgan asked Joel to gentle the colt, Joel was thrilled. Little Bub proved that size and breed weren't everything. Soon word spread throughout the entire Northeast that this spirited colt could pull heavier loads than a pair of oxen and run faster than thoroughbreds.

The Black Star of Kingston

A century before Heather and Picket's adventures in The Green Ember, a displaced community fights for hope on the ragged edge of survival. Whitson Mariner and Fleck Blackstar face old fears and new enemies, forging a legend that will echo through the ages.

The Westing Game

One fateful day, 16 people gather for the reading of the will of the very rich Samuel W. Westing. To their surprise, the will turns out to be a contest, challenging the heirs to find out who among them is Westing's murderer. Only two people hold all the clues. One is a Westing heir...and the other is the listener!

Echo

Audie Award, Middle Grade, 2016. Lost and alone in the forbidden Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Decades later Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each become sinterwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives, binding them by an invisible thread of destiny. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

A natural storyteller and raconteur in his own right - just listen to Paddle Your Own Canoe and Gumption - actor, comedian, carpenter, and all-around manly man Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) brings his distinctive baritone and a fine-tuned comic versatility to Twain's writing. In a knockout performance, he doesn't so much as read Twain's words as he does rejoice in them, delighting in the hijinks of Tom - whom he lovingly refers to as a "great scam artist" and "true American hero".

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune.

Publisher's Summary

Taran dreams of adventure, but nothing exciting ever happens to an Assistant Pig-Keeper, until his pig runs away. A chase through the woods leads Taran far from home and into great danger, for evil prowls the land of Prydain. With a collection of strange and wonderful friends whom he meets on his journey, Taran finds himself fighting so that good may triumph over evil, and so that his beloved home will not fall to a diabolical fiend.

What the Critics Say

"A very funny adventure tale set in an imaginary kingdom." (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books) "James Langton enables the listener to enter this fantastical world. Langton's presentation of each character has a depth that brings heightened compassion....Langton cares deeply about each character, and so will the listener!" (AudioFile)

The Prydain Chronicles was one of my favorite fantasy series as a child. I decided to listen to it again largely out of nostalgia. The story incorporates many old Welsh myths to weave an exciting fantasy world that centers on a boy who dreams of accomplishing big deeds but learns both humanity and courage.

This book might be a bit scary for very young children but most ages 7 and up will enjoy the magic and adventure.

My only complaint is that after buying this, I discovered that there was an option to buy book 1 and book 2 in the series together as one book, so it ended up costing me an extra credit to get the entire series.

My 9 year old chose this book from her reading list this summer and to my surprise became one of our families favorite. This book teaches some very important lessons about growing up and learning to find ones own identity in a world that when young seems so large and exciting, but when the time comes to step outside ones comfort zone only makes us realize there is no place like home.

My kids (girl-11yr & boy-9yr) and I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a little slow starting and the names were confusing at first, but it got moving and was a lot of fun. Taran (main character) gives hope to the average-feeling person. Bravery often comes in small packages. We're ready for the next book in the series.

My mom read this book to me when I was a kid and never forgot about it. If you like Star Wars, J.R.R. Tolkein, Harry Potter etc. you MUST read this book. I can't believe I never hear anyone talk about it.This is my second time reading it, and as soon as I stared it, I couldn't stop. The story and the characters are exciting and smart.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Book of Three to be better than the print version?

As good as, but we talking about all time top five books here.

What about James Langton’s performance did you like?

Gold standard.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Pig Keeper rises above station.

Any additional comments?

At the bottom of my rambling is my original review, pitiful if I must say. Five years later I have a much better appreciation of Mr. Alexander's masterful work. I would rank it with The Hobbit. The tale of assistant pig keeper Taran and Eilonwy the charming princess, Fflewddur Fflam, the bard who stretches the truth all too often as well as ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmgeonly Doli--all of whom become involved in the legendary land of Prydain.<br/><br/>The narrative in the Audible edition is good standard even after ten years plus still delightful. Do not miss great classic!<br/><br/>Good story with some hitches, the pig never said a word. The Horned King did not melt in a good cause and effect. Overall very enjoyable